The Friday Refrain: Your Weekly New Music Digest

Reminder: This week I'm switching to a new website! So if you have this under rrmusicandmore.squarespace.com, you will cease to get new posts. Bunkamade.com will live on in a new era. All right, there you go. Now the Refrain:

Sometimes I get a little one-track-minded and perhaps I wrote an entire blog post and then decided to do something else without saving my progress and perhaps I lost that entire blog post. And then perhaps I decided to just drop it and do it today. Perhaps.

Perhaps of the Edmund Fitzgerald song fame, George Thorogood, released Party of One yesterday. Speaking of songwriters of note, Dan Wilson released Re-Covered as well. Let's hit the trifecta of songwriters with Randy Newman's new album Dark Matter. Country star Brett Eldredge continues the eponymous/self-titled trend of the year with, you guessed it, Brett Eldredge. And finally, The Claypool Lennon Delirium released Lime & Limpid Green, an EP that is delightful and really showcases how well Les Claypool and Sean Lennon are a great musical pairing.

Pair this List of last week's releases aggregated from several sources and genrefied by me.

I almost had a list of opposites but it doesn't quite flesh out... So instead here again is a few albums that I liked from the week, also check out the Spotify playlist below for even more.

Stuff I liked This Week

• James Yuill, A Change In State - this singer-songwriter with a slightly more indie pop tinge didn't really bring me in until the song "Two Faces" which is a really well done song in my opinion. Your opinion may vary.
• Katie Von Schleicher, Shitty Hits - If you like Angel Olson, I think you should give this a shot. Or if you don't like Angel Olson, you almost do but something just doesn't get you, also give this a shot.
• Lava Divers, Plush - I tweeted about this one and I wanted to give it another shout out. Pretty awesome indie rock album. Also, what's with me and Brazil? I really like Brazil indie rock lately.
• Umm, Double Worshipper - this is a fun indie rock album.

I guess I'm just in more of a rock mood this week. Don't worry, I'll diversify again. It's just high tide summer and that's kinda rock/pop time for me. Anyway, check out the Spotify, follow me on twitter (@bunkamade) and Happy Listening!

The Friday Refrain: Your Weekly New Music Digest

Before I get to the music news today, a heads up. I have created a new site and will be switching the domain bunkamade.com over to that site this week. So if you have this in your RSS feed under rrmusicandmore.squarespace.com, you will not be seeing updates in a week or so. I'm going to do a few more posts reminding to make the switch before I do it. And now - the Refrain!

Buckle your seatbelts everyone - today is a hit list. I woke up to new Arcade Fire (Everything Now) and Cage The Elephant released an album of stripped down live recordings of their songs along with a string quartet and percussion entitled, Unpeeled. We have a few veteran musical stars popping up today too: Mick Jagger released a two song single, Gotta Get A Grip/England Lost and Santan & The Isley Brothers join forces to bring Power of Peace. Alice Cooper is 27 albums strong with Paranormal. Pop music side of things, Julia Michaels released a mini-album/ep titled Nervous System (you might know her single "Issues" if you listen to popular music radio stations). On the indie/alternative side of things we've got a couple more albums of note. Passion Pit released Tremendous State of Love today and Annie Hart of Au Revoir Simone released Impossible Accomplice (which isn't on Spotify but is on bandcamp). Ty Segall is insanely prolific and released Fried Shallots today. Sylvan Esso decided to see what their songs would sound like with a full band, they filmed and recorded the effort and you can watch the videos or listen to Echo Mountain Sessions to find out the result. Finally, Margo Price released a 4 song ep, Weakness this week and that is just awesome. I love her.

I love last week's list! (I don't know, I just try to find a transition and sometimes, well it's not as good as others)

 You know how sometimes you're all prepared and do a good job, and then when it comes down to the deadline, you look around you and all that work you've done is simply vanished? Yeah? Me too. I lost my notebook. And i had finally brainstormed my lists last weekend instead of impromptu today, but I can't find the notebook. The nerve of that thing. Anyway, let's just talk about some things I liked instead.

Things I liked Instead

Nicole Atkins, Goodnight Rhonda Lee - Her voice is so lush. I've seen her perform live too and she is an amazing all around musician. The album has a vintage sound to it and her songs bring memories of the 50s and 60s to mind.

Vera Blue, Perennial - Great pop album out to ride out the sunshine days of summer with.

Tyler, the Creator; Flower Boy - I've given this album a couple listens now and I especially like the track "See You Again."

Mezana Dounia, Massa Dembele - This is an amazing album. The music is beautiful from this Burkina Faso native. Great to put on and listen to or put on for a dinner party. Last Friday, I intended to do some album sampling but this was the first artist I played, and we listened to the entire album.

Stanton Moore, With You In Mind - A jazz/funk album, features appearances by the likes of Trombone Shorty adn Cyril Neville.

Sam Frazier Jr., Take Me Back - The tracks were recorded in the late 60s/early 70s and didn't get much traction, so Sam Frazier Jr. is putting them out to the world again. His voice is delightful and if you like Otis Redding, then you should definitely give this a listen.

Miracle Drug, How Much Is Enough  - they self-describe as Hardcore. So there you go. A change from the last few albums I guess. There's a curveball for ya.

Declan McKenna, What do you think about the car - This poppy alt rock singer-songwriter might have caught your ear already, especially the single "Brazil."

David Benoit & Marc Antoine, So Nice - I'm going to round out this list with another dinner party-friendly jazz album that would pair nicely with a glass of a crisp cold white wine.

Metal Albums I Am Going To Get Around To

To Speak of Wolves, Dead in the Shadow

Sun of the Sleepless, To The Elements

Undergang, Misantropologi

Poseidon, Prologue

And there we have it, another week, another Refrain. Check out the Spotify list for some of the things I mentioned today and Happy Listening!

The Friday Refrain: Your Weekly New Music Digest

Today is Friday which means more music! Well, any day could guarantee more music at this point because it seems we have finally moved past the point of the unified Friday release idea. Like Nine Inch Nails and their Tuesday digital release of Add Violence. Also today Damian Marley releases Stony Hill. Tyler, the Creator has Flower Boy out today and Foster the People return with Sacred Hearts Club. Speaking of 2011/2012, Lana Del Rey is back with Lust For Life. Let's continue down the alternative/indie road with Nicole Atkins' Goodnight Rhonda Lee, Avey Tare's Eucalyptus and The Chris Robinson Band's Barefoot in the Head.

Head on over to last week's List of releases aggregated and genrefied by moi.

Argh. I have no clever lists up my sleeve this week. My creativity is sapped. Also, I'm hungry because it's lunchtime. So I'm going to go do that but! But! I did put together a little playlist of stuff I liked as I listened this week, so check that out over on the Spotifyer. And as always, Happy Listening!

The Friday Refrain: Your Weekly New Music Digest

Happy Friday everybody, it's time to check out the new music for today! Indie artists Japanese Breakfast releases the sophomore album Soft Sounds From Another Planet today and Waxahatchee comes back with Out in the Storm. Shabazz Palaces have two albums out today, count them TWO, Quazarz vs. the Jealous Machines and Quazarz: Born On A Gangster Star. And that's really the big big releases today. Next week packs some punches though so ready yourself.

Ready this List! (my aggregated list of what came out last week genrefied by me if I listened to it)

And I don't really have a list of weird connections between albums this week because I spent the majority of it listening to all the albums I liked from January to June trying to whittle down my list for the podcast. So I'm going to list somethings that won't make my list because I forgot to go back and listen to them. And then I'm going to try to give them some listens soon I hope.

My "Wish I had Paid Closer Attention" List

Fion Regan, The Meetings of the Waters - this soft-spoken singer-songwriter style album is great and then there is "Babushka-Yai Ya" which is this loud and boisterous song in the middle of a pretty chill and beautiful album.

Heinall, Anthem - It's just ambient music that really chills me out and helps me focus. I don't know how to really evaluate or put into a hierarchical system because it's just really nice, effective and pleasant to listen to.

Silja Sol, Ni Liv - this one probably only strikes me in certain moves but this album of wandering and poppy and synthy music could end up being this year's Fulhast for me.

The Dirty Nil, Minimum R&B - I like this early Weezer/Green Day sounding album. Brings me back to stealing my brother's tapes to listen to them and then returning them without notice.

Cayetana, New Kind of Normal - Garagey lo-fi assertive rock

San Cisco, The Waters - I think this would be good plopped into a summer party mix.

Mara Balls, Elava Kivi - Good solid rock.

Allison Pierce, Year of the Rabbit - Not exactly but if you're into the musical vein of Margo Price, this would be worth a listen.

Boliden, Surface - Ambient music I get.

And now I have to return to life. I hope you have a lovely weekend readers and Happy Listening!

The Friday Refrain: Your Weekly New Music Digest

It's kinda a light week for releases this week, but there are some big ones. Lil Wayne surprised the world with In tune We Trust. Indie rockers Broken Social Scene released Hug of Thunder. Toro Y Moi are back with Boo Boo and sister trio Haim return with Something To Tell You. (I hope it's as good as that first album) The other half of Big Star, Chris Bell, died at 27 and his work wasn't as well known as Alex Chilton but this year there are those trying to change that. Today Looking Forward comes out ahead of a biography about Chris Bell and a few more reissues/retrospectives are expected to be released later this year. So dive in and discover who Chris Bell is. Speaking of awesome music from yore, these guys just keep kicking it up a notch and Melvins are back with A Walk With Love And Death. Lastly, this is a fun one for our household as we have a few 45s of his, Charley Pride has a new album out today titled Music In My Heart.

Music in my List. (my aggregated list of what came out last week with genres if I got to listening to it)

Now for an odd list of my own...

Thinking Big

Origin, Unparalleled Universe

Mei Tahat, Dayworld

Black Merlin, Proto World

Baio, Man of the World

Well then, hopefully I get the Spotify list up this weekend, so check back for that. Need to go attend to life. Happy Listening!